


Of Cheeseburger and Soda

by dean_colette



Series: Space Between Us [3]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gen, Keith (Voltron)-centric, Pre-Voltron: Legendary Defender
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-26
Updated: 2017-10-26
Packaged: 2019-01-23 09:41:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12504508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dean_colette/pseuds/dean_colette
Summary: As comic as it sounds, a fast food chain is Keith's safe place.





	Of Cheeseburger and Soda

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the VLD Handbook implying that Keith likes fast food.  
> Just me trying to invade Keith's mind and read his thoughts.

“Good afternoon, Sir,” the guard greeted as he opened the door for Keith. Keith nodded and offered a tiny smile. But judging from the feeling in his face, it probably turned out to be more of a grimace than a smile. He wished the guard wouldn’t take it the wrong way. He wasn’t trying to be dismissive.

Keith breathed in and the thick scent of preservatives permeated his senses. The clacking of utensils reached Keith’s ears and he couldn’t help mentally wince a little because of the screeching sounds. Tugging his jacket closer to his body, he made his way to the line.

Three people were before him and Keith could see the hurried movements of the staffs in the counter and kitchen. Walking back and forth, holding burgers, plates, drinks and settling them on the tray. Keith had to admire their tendency of not buckling up despite the time limit set on them for each customer.

Keith did a quick scan in the establishment and saw that it was mostly full. Should be expected since it was a weekday afternoon. Most customers were obviously students from the nearby college.

When it was Keith’s turn, the cashier smiled at him warmly despite looking tired, they were probably here since morning, and asked for his order. Again, Keith admired that. Paying for his usual cheeseburger and soda, he waited for his food, which, a few seconds later, were given to him. Nodding at them, Keith carried his tray and looked for an empty spot.

Spotting an empty booth in a corner, Keith walked towards it. Cool. He preferred staying in a corner where he wouldn’t be seen much. There was nothing wrong with eating alone in a fast food but sometimes people looked at him like they were wondering why he was alone. As if he needed to other people to eat. No one was holding his digestive system aside from his own body. Thank you very much.

Upon seating, Keith didn’t immediately eat his food. Instead, he turned his attention outside through the glass panel, watching as cars revved by and people walked under the blazing sun. It was a particular hot summer day, but Keith wasn’t complaining. He’d take summer over winter anytime. Cold weathers were pain in the ass especially if you live in a shack with nothing but improvised electricity and personally fixed machines.

If there was one thing Keith learned about that, it was that people were lazy and tend to throw away their stuff even though they could be easily fixed. Keith wasn’t even a mechanic but he could.

Smoothing his hair- he needed a haircut- Keith grabbed his soda and took a sip. Crossing his arms, he let his mind rest. No thinking about the energy he was feeling and how he was tracking it down.

Was it weird that a fast food chain became his kind of a safe place?

The thing about being here was that he was simultaneously alone and surrounded by people.

And it was comforting, oddly enough.

Keith had always been more of a lone wolf type. He was that way since he was a kid. Since he was under the foster care system. He went from one house- not _home_ \- to another from different places. There was no point getting attached when he was about to leave any second anyway.

He was lucky that he met Shiro, but now he was gone, too. Keith scowled, remembering the half-assed excuse the Garrison gave them for his and the Holt’s disappearance. Something was off. He was sure of that.

Keith closed his eyes and slowly breathed through his nose. Releasing it through his mouth, he opened his eyes.

Yeah, Keith may be used to being alone but living in a desert was pushing that. He liked his shack, that was a fact. Everything in it, he worked hard to established. And he was proud of that. But…

The silence could be deafening.

The vastness could be suffocating.

Being alone wasn’t tranquil anymore. It was…lonely.

The Garrison was the complete opposite of silent. The loud hallway, murmurs in class, ruckus laughter, shy giggles. Wherever you turn, it was filled with noise. And Keith missed it. The noise, that was. And maybe, the Garrison, too. He did do his best so he could enter that. But he was booted out.

 _Whatever._ Keith sighed. No use crying over spilled milk.

Keith felt like he was alone in the universe because of the overbearing silence. And that wasn’t the type of thing he liked feeling.

And so he went in a fast food chain, where the noises were almost identical. And where he could do his thing without people meddling.

Keith liked the sounds around him. The clanking of utensils, the chatter, the laughter. It didn’t have to be directed to him, he just needed to hear something.

As absurd as it sounded, Keith just wanted a reassurance that he wasn’t alone in the universe.

Keith took a bite of his burger. His gaze landed on a kid, about five years old, staring at him with wide eyes. The thing about being in a public place was that there would always be a kid who would gaze at him as if they knew all his dark secrets.

The mother must have noticed her kid staring at a stranger because she faced Keith and offered an apologetic smiled. Keith nodded, like telling her that it was nothing. The mother then proceeded to feed her child.

Keith smiled softly.

Maybe making a fast food chain his safe place also had something to do with his Mom.

He didn’t remember much about her. She disappeared quickly from Keith’s life, he was surprised he even had memories of her.

Keith could his child-self, tugging his mother’s shirt while pointing at the mascot- who was dressed in a red bee costume. He could remember a warm gaze and smile. Eyes identical to Keith’s. He could remember a hand enveloping his pudgy one and bringing him to the mascot. Probably to take a picture.

And that was the only thing he knew about his Mom.

It wasn’t much. But it was something.

And maybe a part of Keith was holding to that vague memory.

Keith’s gaze landed once again to the kid who was staring at him. This time, he smiled.

Then, the kid smiled back. Showing off his teeth with the two fronts missing. He turned his attention back to his Mom. Keith leaned back on his chair and finished his food.

His chest felt warm. A good type of warm.

Yeah. He was definitely not alone.

**Author's Note:**

> [Tumblr](https://s-h-a-r-p-shooter.tumblr.com/)


End file.
